The need to reduce automotive fuel consumption and emissions is well known. Therefore, vehicles are being developed that either reduce or completely eliminate reliance on internal combustion engines. Electrified vehicles are one type of vehicle being developed for this purpose. In general, electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles in that they are selectively driven by one or more battery powered electric machines. Conventional motor vehicles, by contrast, rely exclusively on the internal combustion engine to drive the vehicle.
High voltage batteries for powering electric machines of an electrified vehicle typically include multiple battery arrays. Each battery array includes a plurality of battery cells and a support structure (i.e., endwalls and sidewalls) that generally surrounds the battery cells to build the battery array. A cold plate may be positioned along a bottom of the battery cells to thermally manage the heat generated by the battery cells.